Last weekend, I was alone in my house for 48 hours. This might seem like a non-event, but for the matriarch of a gang of 6 (did I really just refer to myself as a matriarch? Ugh!), it really is an event. I do not think I have been by myself in this house overnight…
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The Irony of Introversion in a Time of Pandemic
Saturday night, after taking our kids to church and nearly exploding with rage at their sullen attitudes, my husband and I decided we needed to get away from the kids for a couple hours, so we went on a date to Menard’s. (Sidebar 1: this is a sign of the times: you need a date…
Read MoreShelter “in place” (my life in pictures)
In the month we’ve been on a stay-at-home order, I’ve realized a couple things. First of all, everyone goes through a freak-out before settling into a new reality. I have seen it happen in many of my online friends and, more to the point, I’ve been painfully aware of it in myself. I tried to…
Read MoreOn the Need For Retreat
I am sitting in the dark this morning. Despite my hopes, I woke up a little before five, but instead of the usual mad scramble to figure out how to make use of the time, I laid in bed and allowed myself to drift in my sleepiness, listening to the sounds of the retreat center,…
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Kisses In The Outfield (Photo Friday)
Monday night, when the coach dismissed the boys from their last (praise God!) baseball game of the season, he followed it up with, “Let’s get together for a parents-vs-kids game on Wednesday!” I clamped down on the biggest “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” ever heard in the history of humankind. (Yes, I too can do idiotic superlatives that bear…
Read MoreWhat An Ice “Storm” Reminded Me About Family
This past Friday, it rained some trace amount that couldn’t be measured, and my entire city went berserk. All weekend, the weather, the accidents, and how long it took to get home were the only topics of conversation. Hours. We spent hours talking about it. It caught everybody off guard. See, it was supposed to…
Read MoreOf Christmas Decs, My Witty Husband, and Impossible Christmas Lists
White lights, colored lights, first aid kits, and Santa beating her head on the desk. Bring on the holidays.
Read MoreKid Moments, To Brighten Your Day
Alex, 11, as we pull in the driveway after school: “You guys used 30 pronouns in the time between the stop sign by the pool and here.” Me: “Were you counting?” Alex: “Yes, and that was another one.” ** Julianna, 9, in the van, listening to Puff the Magic Dragon on the beat-up Peter, Paul &…
Read MoreWhy, Hello, Summer.
It seems that lately, most of the people I talk to about summer plans say, “We have no plans. We go to the pool every day!” Speaking for myself, I might not mind going to the pool every day under two conditions: 1) the water is warm; 2) there’s plenty of shade. But since those…
Read MoreFamily Game Night In the Wake of a Successful Writing Contest
We have a tradition of family game night in our house. Actually, “tradition” is a little strong. We made a commitment to devote Friday nights to this purpose, but our success rate is about 40-50%. (AKA “better than nothing!”) It’s supposed to be a no-technology night. But the kids have been begging for a “family…
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Kathleen M. Basi 